12/5/2016 [DMFA #1715] Didn't see that coming! The end of SAIA!? Ominous indeed!

[PalmettoPaladin]

Yep.  I actually did not see that coming.  If anything Amber is the master of oh snap moments!

I'm figuring that once the Academy returns to the main dimension, every enemy of the cubi is going to declare open season on the students and the staff, regardless if the staff is cubi or not. 

It's odd though considering that Mab actually granted a boon to Fa'Lina to create the SAIA.  I wonder if there the magic of the fae is growing weaker. 

[Tapewolf]

Yep.  I actually did not see that coming.  If anything Amber is the master of oh snap moments!
I'm figuring that once the Academy returns to the main dimension, every enemy of the cubi is going to declare open season on the students and the staff, regardless if the staff is cubi or not. 

Depends how rapidly, given that Taun likely thinks on quite long timescales.  It's worth bearing in mind that both Taun and Fa'Lina suggested that Dan would be safe from the war at the Academy.  Even so, it is not a good thing.

EDIT: I wonder if Hizell worked out that the realm would revert after about 7000 years and that's why he's ramping up hostilities...?

[Lego3400]

Wasn't it hinted that the Academy was actually made by Mab for Fa'lina as her boon?

[Cassi-kun]

I remember Amber saying that Fa'Lina would die "soon," once. In terms of the comic's timeline, not ours.

[Major Matt Mason]

Wait, what? 

[Drakkenmensch]

So there's a war approaching.

Cubi and dragons. One of these two will not survive. Extinction is coming soon and will claim one or both.

[Tapewolf]

I remember Amber saying that Fa'Lina would die "soon," once. In terms of the comic's timeline, not ours.

I guess the litmus test would be when she stops being able to predict the future.  IIRC she can see a month or so in advance - but I would expect that she cannot see beyond her own demise.

EDIT:

Wasn't it hinted that the Academy was actually made by Mab for Fa'lina as her boon?

Yes.  And that would imply that Fa'Lina is one of the 'Special Friends' fated to die.

[PalmettoPaladin]

I remember Amber saying that Fa'Lina would die "soon," once. In terms of the comic's timeline, not ours.

Where was this stated?   Just curious. 

[Tapewolf]

Where was this stated?   Just curious.

I can't find it at the moment - it's possible it's been wiped.  However, there are a number of references to it, mostly around 2011.

[Jasonrevall]

I actually thought that this http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_740.php was a foreshadowing to something awful happening and suspected Fa'lina may die soon however I don't know if it's been way longer than two months or not so maybe I missed what that was a foreshadowing to.

Also I was right on not banking on SAIA being an impenetrable fortress so here's hoping that Taun is a great commander and that her and Dan get along and fight an army of dragons as they dramatically swoop down from the sky amidst a barrage of spells and arrows (or ballista). No better way to bond then on the battlefield. Would also make a good mural if they survive.

[ZacAttac21]

Nooooo!! My erotic fanfics!

[katasev]

Went archive-diving looking for a specific thing, but found some other interesting pages I'd forgotten about (or at least packed to the back of my mind):

Possibly related? Cubi have been losing the ability to gain enough power to ascend.

Fa'lina's boon used to build a school.

The one I was looking for was a question from the reader where it's suggested that Fa'lina ask Mab to restore her clan, but Amber "jokingly" says something like "It's not like she would have used it on a super magical school with wards so powerful no dragon could ever get in!" but the second one confirms it anyway, so it all worked out, haha.

[Tapewolf]

The one I was looking for was a question from the reader where it's suggested that Fa'lina ask Mab to restore her clan, but Amber "jokingly" says something like "It's not like she would have used it on a super magical school with wards so powerful no dragon could ever get in!" but the second one confirms it anyway, so it all worked out, haha.

http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1613.php

[Kajet]

Well... crap... who doesn't like Falina?

[ZacAttac21]

Well... crap... who doesn't like Falina?

Destania.

[Cassi-kun]

Cubi have been losing the ability to gain enough power to ascend.

And now I'm wondering all over again about the Clan Leaders on that page who we haven't met.

[katasev]

The one I was looking for was a question from the reader where it's suggested that Fa'lina ask Mab to restore her clan, but Amber "jokingly" says something like "It's not like she would have used it on a super magical school with wards so powerful no dragon could ever get in!" but the second one confirms it anyway, so it all worked out, haha.

http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_1613.php

Ah yes, exactly that one! I thought it was before Fa'lina's conversation with Dan, so I was going the wrong way, haha. Thanks very much! Interesting to think on again though, that if Fa-fa had asked it, Mab could have brought back her whole clan instead... I suppose if a dragon has a vendetta against you and has killed your clan once, it's not hard to imagine he could do it again, so making the academy was probably the intelligent (if painful) choice... I still wish Fa'lina wasn't going to be one of the fated-to-die, as I like her quite a lot. (More every time we learn something new about her, really.) But then I think about who else counts as Mab's special friends and I get super nervous about ANY of them kicking it, haa.... >_>;;;;

Cubi have been losing the ability to gain enough power to ascend.

And now I'm wondering all over again about the Clan Leaders on that page who we haven't met.

I know right, I get SO CURIOUS about some of the back-lore we get hinted and then about-face away from! Part of what makes Amber's world so deliciously deep, that this stuff exists whether we know about it or not, lol.

[Cassi-kun]

Cubi have been losing the ability to gain enough power to ascend.

And now I'm wondering all over again about the Clan Leaders on that page who we haven't met.

I know right, I get SO CURIOUS about some of the back-lore we get hinted and then about-face away from! Part of what makes Amber's world so deliciously deep, that this stuff exists whether we know about it or not, lol.

Like the times that other clan names have been given, or the warp-aci spying on the meeting!

Also, has it ever been established how many personalities a multi-headed character has? The only two I can recall with speaking roles are the one(s) that mistook Dan for a maiden in his first adventure, and Mehlata's cohort who had lost one of his heads.

[Tapewolf]

An interesting point is that Taun is saying that the academy will 'return to this realm', implying that the school will materialise somewhere.  If so, where?  Realms such as Matilda's magical houses and Mab's private domain seem to require an anchor in Furrae (e.g. the glen, Dan's cupboard, see p.406), and I do have to wonder if the anchor-point is somewhere around Lost Lake.

[SteelWings]

I'm sad to hear our favourite bi polar poodle is going to die 

[Uruso]

  NO Fa'lina! *claps* I believe in Fa'lina! *claping faster* I BELIEVE IN FA'LINA! *claping wildly* Don't die Fa'lina!

[e_voyager]

S.O.S Save our SAIA or maybe it should be S.O.F save our Fa'lina?

[katasev]

An interesting point is that Taun is saying that the academy will 'return to this realm', implying that the school will materialise somewhere.  If so, where?  Realms such as Matilda's magical houses and Mab's private domain seem to require an anchor in Furrae (e.g. the glen, Dan's cupboard, see p.406), and I do have to wonder if the anchor-point is somewhere around Lost Lake.

Or in a totally opposite and way way worse idea, what if the anchor point is somewhere near Hizell? It may not have been at the start, of course, but I imagine with a dragon's resources it might not be impossible to figure out where it is. And if it *was* near him from the start, like if Mab created the realm around Fa'lina when she was held captive (unless those were just metaphorical chains and I'm reading it too literally, but it *does* say he imprisoned her) then he might have just been sitting on the exit ever since to wait for her realm to fold back in. In which case, I'm hoping Taun's use of "soon" is a Cubi-clan-leader "soon" of a few hundred years rather than a "soon" on a being's timescale. 

[Tapewolf]

Or in a totally opposite and way way worse idea, what if the anchor point is somewhere near Hizell? It may not have been at the start, of course, but I imagine with a dragon's resources it might not be impossible to figure out where it is. And if it *was* near him from the start, like if Mab created the realm around Fa'lina when she was held captive

Aside from the Librarian, who is permanently rooted in the building, I'd assume Fa'Lina would evacuate the premises if there was any possibility of it materialising in hostile territory.
What made me wonder if the anchor is near Lost Lake is the fact that the main cast were able to walk into it.

[PalmettoPaladin]

An interesting point is that Taun is saying that the academy will 'return to this realm', implying that the school will materialise somewhere.  If so, where?  Realms such as Matilda's magical houses and Mab's private domain seem to require an anchor in Furrae (e.g. the glen, Dan's cupboard, see p.406), and I do have to wonder if the anchor-point is somewhere around Lost Lake.

That's true.  I'm not sure how Alexsi will react to that.   Come to think of it, I doubt the students and staff are going to be happy about that.  Of course, there might be a reason for the school appearing near Lost Lake.  That reason being Mab, since even Dragons don't want to mess with a Fae.  With that said, I'm guessing that Hivell might have some Fae boons as well.  I'm not sure but hopefully he doesn't as it'll involve Mab having to choose between her friends and opposing another Fae (or the Fae kingdom itself!).   

One thing has been bugging me though: if Mab's plans involve Jyrras starting a revolution,  could that revolution be a second Dragon-Cubi War?  If so does Mab realize that her plans might also hurt her friends as well?

Another thing that has been bothering me is the fact that the Phoenix oracles seem to be losing their ability to foretell the future.   If so, I can only imagine the worldwide panic that'll cause since everyone seems to rely on them. My question is this: if the Creature Council finds out, what sort of problems will appear because of this?

Another thing is what will the revelation that Jyrras has created not one but two new life forms do to both Biggs and Mab's plans?  I'm guessing that both will go down the drain very quickly. 

[Cassi-kun]

Or in a totally opposite and way way worse idea, what if the anchor point is somewhere near Hizell? It may not have been at the start, of course, but I imagine with a dragon's resources it might not be impossible to figure out where it is. And if it *was* near him from the start, like if Mab created the realm around Fa'lina when she was held captive

Aside from the Librarian, who is permanently rooted in the building, I'd assume Fa'Lina would evacuate the premises if there was any possibility of it materialising in hostile territory.
What made me wonder if the anchor is near Lost Lake is the fact that the main cast were able to walk into it.

Though the proverbial red carpet lasted fifty miles, apparently.

[Tapewolf]

Though the proverbial red carpet lasted fifty miles, apparently.

That's an interesting point.  I was assuming that meant the hypothetical anchor-point would be within a 50-mile radius of Lost Lake...  But that might actually mean it's much closer.
It's quite possible that the 50 miles of the red route marks the extent of her realm, especially if she's using her power to selectively enable/disable the guide through the labyrinth and only allow harmless interlopers.  We don't actually know how big the Academy's pocket dimension is.

This theory is a set of stacked assumptions, so it's not as substantial as I'd like.  I kind of hope it's wrong, because if the Academy grounds are 50 miles in diameter, it's liable to overlap with Zinvth and that would be a Bad Thing.

[Qwex1]

Though the proverbial red carpet lasted fifty miles, apparently.

That's an interesting point.  I was assuming that meant the hypothetical anchor-point would be within a 50-mile radius of Lost Lake...  But that might actually mean it's much closer.
It's quite possible that the 50 miles of the red route marks the extent of her realm, especially if she's using her power to selectively enable/disable the guide through the labyrinth and only allow harmless interlopers.  We don't actually know how big the Academy's pocket dimension is.

This theory is a set of stacked assumptions, so it's not as substantial as I'd like.  I kind of hope it's wrong, because if the Academy grounds are 50 miles in diameter, it's liable to overlap with Zinvth and that would be a Bad Thing.

But what type of mile

[Cassi-kun]

Though the proverbial red carpet lasted fifty miles, apparently.

That's an interesting point.  I was assuming that meant the hypothetical anchor-point would be within a 50-mile radius of Lost Lake...  But that might actually mean it's much closer.
It's quite possible that the 50 miles of the red route marks the extent of her realm, especially if she's using her power to selectively enable/disable the guide through the labyrinth and only allow harmless interlopers.  We don't actually know how big the Academy's pocket dimension is.

This theory is a set of stacked assumptions, so it's not as substantial as I'd like.  I kind of hope it's wrong, because if the Academy grounds are 50 miles in diameter, it's liable to overlap with Zinvth and that would be a Bad Thing.

Yeah, it's probably fifty miles TRAVELED, not fifty miles distance. I'm assuming twists, turns, and possibly multiple floors. Even so, anything with enough space to PUT fifty miles of brick roads in the basement alone is still gonna be huge.

Though the implication is also given that the mice can access areas that others normally can't, so it's possible that the full fifty miles aren't actually included in SAIA's "actual" size, or that the route is at least partially magical in nature.

[Amber Williams]

Though the proverbial red carpet lasted fifty miles, apparently.

That's an interesting point.  I was assuming that meant the hypothetical anchor-point would be within a 50-mile radius of Lost Lake...  But that might actually mean it's much closer.
It's quite possible that the 50 miles of the red route marks the extent of her realm, especially if she's using her power to selectively enable/disable the guide through the labyrinth and only allow harmless interlopers.  We don't actually know how big the Academy's pocket dimension is.

This theory is a set of stacked assumptions, so it's not as substantial as I'd like.  I kind of hope it's wrong, because if the Academy grounds are 50 miles in diameter, it's liable to overlap with Zinvth and that would be a Bad Thing.

It would also be easier to just assume that Photophie was pulling a random number out of her ear. Much like a person who says "I slept for 80 years" to indicate "I slept a lot"